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may10
Vernonia City News...
At the May 2, 2011 Vernonia City
Council Meeting:
Council Votes to Terminate Contract
with Haack—In a 3-2 vote Council
voted to terminate the Personal Services
Contract with ColPac for the services
of Bill Haack as Interim City Adminis-
trator. Voting in favor were Councilors
Willow Burch, who brought the motion
forward, Kevin Hudson and Marilyn
Nicks. (See full story on front page)
Council Removes Item From Agen-
da—At the request of Councilor Kevin
Hudson, and with support from Council-
ors Willow Burch and Marilyn Nicks, re-
port on the Oregon Department of Public
Safety Standards and Training (DPSST)
investigation into Vernonia Police Of-
ficer Mike Kay was removed from the
agenda. (See full story on front page)
Metro West Ambulance Declares EMS
Week—Jeremy Raymond, an employee
of Metro West Ambulance, was present
to declare May 15-21 Emergency Medi-
cal Services (EMS) Week.
Sheriff Dickerson Gives Informa-
tion About Measure 5-210—Columbia
County Sheriff Jeff Dickerson presented
Council and the audience information
about the campaign for Measure 5-210, a
property tax levy that would raise funds
for the Sheriff’s Office and provide ad-
ditional patrol officers, including one
dedicated to the Nehalem Valley, and
investigators to follow up on criminal
activities.
Mayor Appoints Lindsley to Public
Works Committee—Mayor Josette
Mitchell, with the approval of Council,
appointed Roger Lindsley to the Public
Works Committee.
Council Approves Support of CCET—
Council approved an expenditure of
$2500 to help support the Columbia
County Economic Development Team
which was launched in October 2010.
Council Approves Rule Change—
Council approved a change to Section 26
of the Vernonia City Council Rules, add-
ing the statement: “Councilor wishing to
move for a reconsideration should notify
City Staff and Council of said action
by the Monday following the Council
meeting in which the original vote was
taken, allowing seven (7) days prior to
the Council meeting in which the recon-
sideration will take place to give fellow
Councilors and Staff time to deliberate
on the matter.”
Council Approves Contract Amend-
ment—By a 4-1 vote, Council approved
an amended version of the Flood Mitiga-
tion Contract between the City of Ver-
nonia and Custom Excavation by Dean
Larson Inc. Councilor Willow Burch
voted against this.
Council Approves Engineering for
Wastewater Facility Plan—By a 4-1
vote, Council approved a Motion to au-
thorize the City Administrator to direct
the City Engineer to complete certain
engineering assignments associated with
the Wastewater Facility Plan including
a geotechnical analysis of the proposed
project site, a dye study of the Lake
and a complete chemical analysis of the
Lake. Councilor Willow Burch voted
against this.
2011
5
Council Authorized Exchange Agree-
ment for Rose Avenue Property—
Council authorized the Interim City
Administrator to sign the Exchange
Agreement for real property, the Public
Easement, and the Accepted Deed of-
fered through an agreement with Oregon
Parks and Recreation Department for
the Rose Avenue Property in exchange
for an easement along the extension of
the Banks--Vernonia Linear Trail from
the Trailhead at Anderson Park to and
around Vernonia Lake.
Council Approves Parks Maintenance
Position—Council approved the hiring
of one or two seasonal workers to pro-
vide services to the City Parks Depart-
ment in accordance with the approved
budget.
Council Approves School Site Sale
Agreement and Ground Lease—
Council authorized the Interim City Ad-
ministrator to sign the existing School
Site Sale Agreement and the Ground
Lease with Vernonia School District 47J
as approved by the City Attorney.
State Outlines Allegations Against Kay continued from front page
misrepresented his current certifications.
8) In 2004 Kay was dishonest during his pre-employment
interview with Vernonia Police Chief Matt Workman
when asked to explain the circumstances surrounding
his affirmative response to having been the subject of a
restraining order.
In addition, the letter dated April 26 states that
during its investigation DPSST has identified another
issue which will be reviewed by the Police Policy
Committee—that in the 2004 pre-employment application
and questionnaire for the Vernonia Police Department,
it appears Kay was untruthful when he responded “No”
to the following questions: Been the suspect in any
police investigation?; Been charged with a crime?; Been
detained, questioned, held on suspicion, fingerprinted or
taken into custody by law enforcement officers for any
reason other than minor traffic violations?; Been placed in
a diversion program resulting of any arrest?; Been or are
you currently under investigation by any law enforcement
agency concerning alleged violation of law?.
The City of Vernonia made those letters public on
Tuesday April 26, and they were included as an agenda
topic at the May 2, 2011, Vernonia City Council meeting.
Council voted 3-2 at the start of the meeting to remove
that item from that agenda, based on Councilor Kevin
Hudson’s request that it not be discussed until after the
officer in question had had his due process.
At that same May 2, 2011, City Council Meeting,
Council also added a last minute item to its agenda—a
review of the Personal Services Contract with ColPac for
Interim City Administrator Haack’s services. When this
item came up, Council voted 3-2 to terminate the contract
without cause, effective immediately. According to the
contract, the city is required to give ColPac two weeks’
notice in this situation.
In addition to the release of the three letters,
Interim City Administrator Bill Haack sent out a press
release on Monday April 25 th stating that the DPSST
proceedings are separate from any employment-related
proceedings and that DPSST does not have the authority to
make decisions regarding Kay’s employment. According
to Haack, the City of Vernonia has been advised by outside
legal counsel as well as its insurance carrier that it has an
obligation to conduct its own investigation.
The City additionally made public an email dated
April 26, 2011, sent from City Attorney Alex Sosnkowski
to the City Council and signed by both Interim City
Administrator Bill Haack and Sosnkowski. In that email
Council is informed that, “...waiting for the conclusion of
the DPSST process to take any action could stretch this
matter into 2012—which the City cannot fiscally afford to
do.”
In that same email,
Haack and Sosnkowski
remind Council that Haack’s
position as Interim City
Administrator does not give
him the authority to hire
and terminate employees—
that authority is retained
by the City Council. “This
pending personnel matter
requires decision makers
to be as fully informed as
possible, unbiased, and free
from conflict of interest.
Because you may be the
decision maker, and we are
aware of preexisting personal
relationships
between
Council members, their
families, and Sgt. Kay, we
have advised you to refrain
from discussing the matter
or forming an opinion not
based on the record,” states
the email.
The email states: “We are deeply concerned that
the City take legal and appropriate action on the Kay
personnel matter and believe that perhaps we have been
less than clear on what the City and City Council is facing
in this matter.”
The email goes on to state other ramifications of
Council not taking the time to complete their own review
of the record and to act legally and appropriately, including
reviews of the process in court, by other public agencies,
and the “court of public opinion;” the loss of the City’s
ability to be supported by CityCounty Insurance Services,
and the loss of post--flood good will.
Vernonia Volunteer
Firefighter’s
4 th Annual
+
=
Pancake Feed!
Sunday, May 22nd
someone told me
I couldnt
be myself
your an
artist
right?
makes me want
to pruve
them wrong?
Peak the Dyslexic Bird
8:00am~1:00pm
School Cafeteria
Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy, Ham, Eggs, Fruit & More!
Coffee provided by Vernonia Coffee Roasters
Blood pressure checks & fire truck rides!
Adult Plate $6 Kid Plate (12 & under) $4
Seniors (62+) $5 Family (max 6) $25